title: Synthesis of coral-like tantalum oxide films via anodization in mixed organic-inorganic electrolytes.
abstract: We report a simple method to fabricate nano-porous tantalum oxide films via anodization with Ta foils as the anode at room temperature. A mixture of ethylene glycol, phosphoric acid, NH4F and H2O was used as the electrolyte where the nano-porous tantalum oxide could be synthesized by anodizing a tantalum foil for 1 h at 20 V in a two-electrode configuration. The as-prepared porous film exhibited a continuous, uniform and coral-like morphology. The diameters of pores ranged from 30 nm to 50 nm. The pores interlaced each other and the depth was about 150 nm. After calcination, the as-synthesized amorphous tantalum oxide could be crystallized to the orthorhombic crystal system. As observed in photocatalytic experiments, the coral-like tantalum oxide exhibited a higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of phenol than that with a compact surface morphology, and the elimination rate of phenol increased by 66.7%.
authors.affiliation: School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Hongbin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Suiyi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xinhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Mingxin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huo
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D004573:Electrolytes; D019855:Ethylene Glycol / Q000737:chemistry; D006858:Hydrofluoric Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010087:Oxides / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D010756:Phosphoric Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D016062:Porosity; D013499:Surface Properties; D013635:Tantalum; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D010087:Oxides; D010756:Phosphoric Acids; D014867:Water; D013635:Tantalum; C030242:phosphoric acid; D019855:Ethylene Glycol; C078151:tantalum oxide; D006858:Hydrofluoric Acid